The 42nd District, which includes all or part of such suburbs as Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Lisle, Lombard and Wheaton, is represented by Margaret DeLaRosa; DeLaRosa, 63, who was school board president for Glenbard Township High School District 87 from 2022-25, was appointed to the seat last October to fill out the term of Terra Costa Howard, who became a judge. DeLaRosa, whom we’ve heard tell is a notably kind person, has been endorsed by U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, among others.
Her challenger in the primary race is Lynn LaPlante, a DuPage County Board member and professional musician with many union endorsements. She’s championed a project for redeveloping the current fairgrounds into an arts complex. LaPlante, 53, told us she supports a new Illinois tax on the “ultra-wealthy,” with which we disagree, but many of her positions struck us as reasoned and thoughtful, including her view on the SAFE-T Act. We did not discern a huge difference on the issues between these two candidates, although LaPlante is running slightly to the left of the moderate DeLaRosa and strikes us likely as more of a fighter.
DeLaRosa, though, has deep roots in this district and a stellar local reputation among the party faithful in her district. Margaret DeLaRosa is endorsed.
Read all of the Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for the 2026 Illinois primary election here.
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